Scioto County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Portsmouth, Porter Township and Washington Township
Scioto County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Scioto County is home to Portsmouth, Porter Township, Washington Township and Harrison Township. Next door, Greenup County, Kentucky, has 3 data centers. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 6.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 25,000 jobs in 2025, up 7.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 137 MW of capacity, 51% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Scioto County
Scioto County is home to Portsmouth, Porter Township, Washington Township and Harrison Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Clarktown, Franklin Furnace, Friendship, Lucasville, McDermott, Minford, Rosemount, Sciotodale, West Portsmouth, Wheelersburg.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Scioto County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 73,849 | 71,365 | ▼ 3.4% | 36th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,338 | 25,000 | ▲ 7.1% | 16th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,316 | $52,311 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.4% | 5.0% | ▼ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Scioto County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 71,365 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Scioto County
Utilities with service territory in Scioto County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,339,232 | 19.33¢ | 22% |
| Duke Energy Ohio Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 693,435 | 15.00¢ | 26% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,349 | 19.90¢ | 8% |
| Adams Rural Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 70 MW | 51% |
| Other technologies | 67 MW | 49% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenup Hydro | City of Hamilton - (OH) | Hydro | 70 MW | 1982 |
| Haverhill North Cogeneration Facility | SunCoke Energy, Inc. | Other technologies | 67 MW | 2008 |
The Scioto County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 25,000 | $52,311 | 1.00 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Scioto County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scioto County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Adams County.
Scioto County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Scioto County, Lawrence County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scioto County | 71,365 | ▲ 7.1% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 27,865 | ▲ 17.4% | — | — | — | 2 |
| Greenup County KY | 35,213 | ▼ 9.0% | 2 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Jackson County | 32,817 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 55,710 | ▲ 6.1% | 1,430 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lewis County KY | 12,901 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 27,061 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Scioto County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scioto County, Ohio?
5 utilities have service territory in Scioto County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, South Central Power Company, Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Portsmouth, OH in?
Portsmouth is in Scioto County, Ohio. About 17,282 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Scioto County?
2 operating plants with 137 MW of capacity. The largest is Greenup Hydro (70 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Scioto County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scioto County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Greenup County.
Is Scioto County adding jobs?
Employers counted 25,000 jobs in 2025 against 23,338 in 2019 (+7.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Scioto County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scioto County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.